A picture a friend posted from today's train training ride. Alejandro and LL Sanchez along with another member of the "Murcian grupetto".
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Not good.
Outside top 50 in a race for the first time since early May 2016.
He said he just had no legs.
A very un-Valverde-like performance.
Outside top 50 in a race for the first time since early May 2016.
He said he just had no legs.
A very un-Valverde-like performance.
Re:
Very not good. Something just looks and feels very off with him this year. In some ways this season is actually worse than his rookie season when he didn't get a single win.
I do think this is related to winning the Rainbow jersey. He was wrong that it wouldn't change him. No it hasn't changed him as a person. It has changed him a lot as a cyclist.
tobydawq said:
Very not good. Something just looks and feels very off with him this year. In some ways this season is actually worse than his rookie season when he didn't get a single win.
I do think this is related to winning the Rainbow jersey. He was wrong that it wouldn't change him. No it hasn't changed him as a person. It has changed him a lot as a cyclist.
Fleche Wallwerde is 3 days away. Liege 7. I'm holding horses until then.
Last year he was also not as strong in the Ardennes.
Last year he was also not as strong in the Ardennes.
Re: Re:
Now it might be a similar thing, and this time mismanaging form makes a little sense cause he's never done Vlaanderen before.
And honestly I thought he was noticably worse last year than before 2 and it just got brushed aside cause he did win the Worlds.
Think last year he was too strong in Feb-March then instead of getting better towards Ardennes he was actually coming down a little.tobydawq said:
Now it might be a similar thing, and this time mismanaging form makes a little sense cause he's never done Vlaanderen before.
And honestly I thought he was noticably worse last year than before 2 and it just got brushed aside cause he did win the Worlds.
Re: Re:
Exactly. He wasn't like THIS in any of the Ardennes races last year. He also hasn't been really off all spring.
tobydawq said:
Exactly. He wasn't like THIS in any of the Ardennes races last year. He also hasn't been really off all spring.
His top-10 at MSR and De Ronde make me wonder if it isn't only the legs but also the motivation.
Re: Re:
Last year he had one of his best spring campaigns of his career (just a little off his 2017 Spring) and for the entire season won the 2nd most races of his entire career.
Red Rick said:
Last year he had one of his best spring campaigns of his career (just a little off his 2017 Spring) and for the entire season won the 2nd most races of his entire career.
Re:
Motivation is big in Amstel cause it punishes you so hard for not fighting for your position efficiently.
Get caught out, then let it go. Could be.ice&fire said:
Motivation is big in Amstel cause it punishes you so hard for not fighting for your position efficiently.
Re:
Which is something I've said several times this year and been told I'm wrong. I still think winning the one race he wanted since he was a young child has meant his lost basically all of his motivation. He made some comment after winning the Worlds, that now he finally belongs, now he no longer has to prove anything to anyone.
ice&fire said:
Which is something I've said several times this year and been told I'm wrong. I still think winning the one race he wanted since he was a young child has meant his lost basically all of his motivation. He made some comment after winning the Worlds, that now he finally belongs, now he no longer has to prove anything to anyone.
Valverde is getting old - Not many 38 year olds are still at the top of their game - He'll still obtain another win or two for the remainder of 2019.
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He can still have great days, but that kind of consistency for longer periods seems to be gone since then.
That, and he had a major injury in the 2nd half of 2017. I don't think he's quite been the same.yaco said:
He can still have great days, but that kind of consistency for longer periods seems to be gone since then.
Also, despite his many top placings, the Amstel isn't really his race I feel like. Too punchy perhaps
You could see the writing was on the wall last spring around Ardennes, even though he had been really good in the beginning of the year. Then he found a late season peak in Vuelta and Worlds, which was great. It has nothing to with that he actually won it. It is no deeper meaning behind it.
He is just getting old and cant be great in every race anymore. You lose your edge, naturally. Even Valverde. Thats why the motivation and morale to still fight may decrease in races when you know you dont have chance to win. Not because you won a race the previous year.
He just need to target races and we stop expecting him to always be there anymore, if he continues to race.
Today was odd, but for all we know he could have just felt he wasnt having a great day and took it as a training ride and preparation for the rest of the week. Save some energy. While simultaneously downplaying his chances. Maybe he wont win Fleche and LBL, but I am expecting him to be there in the finale at least. So who knows, he could still have a chance to win those although he seems to be missing that kick and acceleration this year.
He is just getting old and cant be great in every race anymore. You lose your edge, naturally. Even Valverde. Thats why the motivation and morale to still fight may decrease in races when you know you dont have chance to win. Not because you won a race the previous year.
He just need to target races and we stop expecting him to always be there anymore, if he continues to race.
Today was odd, but for all we know he could have just felt he wasnt having a great day and took it as a training ride and preparation for the rest of the week. Save some energy. While simultaneously downplaying his chances. Maybe he wont win Fleche and LBL, but I am expecting him to be there in the finale at least. So who knows, he could still have a chance to win those although he seems to be missing that kick and acceleration this year.
The problem here is that this steep of a decline doesn't happen over night. There is a lot more to it than that. I do think winning one race, the race he always wanted has basically cost him is motivation. He said earlier this year that having the rainbow jersey he feels like he already has the leaders jersey and has already won each race he goes to.
Last year in the spring he still had his consistency until LBL. Then at the end of the year la Vuelta/Worlds he had the consistency again. Yes the high mountains of la Vuelta showed a bit of a small decline, but not even close to what we're seeing this year.
Last year in the spring he still had his consistency until LBL. Then at the end of the year la Vuelta/Worlds he had the consistency again. Yes the high mountains of la Vuelta showed a bit of a small decline, but not even close to what we're seeing this year.
Hence why I wrote "writing was one the wall" last year, but the he still found a peak at the end of the season.
Its natural he has declined a 1-2% because of his age (it can happen fast when you are 38), and at this level that is all you need to lose to not be as competitive in every race anymore. Not because he necessarily won that race that he now rides around not caring about winning anymore. If his head and motivation was that gone, he wouldnt race anymore at all and decline would be even steeper than it is now. Because right now he is still capable of winning races and having good days, when in peak form.
With said, I think he will retire either this or next season.
Its natural he has declined a 1-2% because of his age (it can happen fast when you are 38), and at this level that is all you need to lose to not be as competitive in every race anymore. Not because he necessarily won that race that he now rides around not caring about winning anymore. If his head and motivation was that gone, he wouldnt race anymore at all and decline would be even steeper than it is now. Because right now he is still capable of winning races and having good days, when in peak form.
With said, I think he will retire either this or next season.
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Old route was better for Valverde obviously, but he still has a shot at thisAmazinmets87 said:
Salvarani said:
The problem with this is he hasn't been near a peak at all this year. He's even said he was delaying his peak and trying to get it for the Ardennes and to hold it through the Giro. Not only hasn't he peaked, he also isn't close to a peak that he was wanting to be.
There is a huge difference in how he's raced this year compared to last year. He isn't willing to risk things he was willing to risk before. It really looks like he has lost his hunger. That's gone.
Amazinmets87 said:
On the course, he can win. Odds of him winning this year, exceptionally unlikely.
It appears that the youngsters have caught up with the ol' guy I'm afraid. What's up with Sagan & GvA though I don't know, as Gilbert is no spring chicken.
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GVA is in his mid 30's. It looks like Sagan's head isn't in it right now for whatever reason.
Robert5091 said:
GVA is in his mid 30's. It looks like Sagan's head isn't in it right now for whatever reason.
Koronin said:
I have said he has lost his edge a little bit, but you could already see that last year.
I just dont think it is because he won a particular race. It is a combination of things, that could include achieving pretty much everything.
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